One more night, Cait
by Airsay
Summary: Caitlin wants to go home after the events of the day but Barry disagrees. Post 1x14.


**Hi, I'm back with a little story that could be a missing scene to an episode, Fallout (14) this time. Maybe I should start one story where I post all my one-shots, I don't know. Anyway, enjoy.**

**Just one more night, Cait. **

"Hey." Barry said while removing his jacket.

"Barry, where were you?" Joe turned around from the couch to look at his foster son. He hadn't been worried but still, he was curious. "We left Sherry's house at the same time and you said you were going home. Need I remind you that you're supposed to be the fast one, son?"

"Ah uh, yeah, sorry about that. I needed to run off today's events I guess." Both men shared a look of understanding.

Barry started to walk toward the kitchen when Joe spoke again: "Oh by the way, Caitlin's upstairs. That stubborn friend of yours is packing her stuff to go home."

Barry stopped walking and glanced at the staircase. He knew Caitlin was with Cisco earlier and had assumed she'd go straight to her apartment afterwards. But it was logical after all, the couple was still here this afternoon and they had no reason to think Ronnie would leave on day 2, so they left their things here. Joe, always the mind reader, added: "I told her to stay one more night though, 'cause Eiling could come back to get some infos on Firestorm's whereabouts…"

"But let me guess, she said she was okay on her own?" Barry asked and Joe simply nodded with a sigh and a small smile. "Well don't worry, she's not going anywhere."

Joe raised his eyebrows at Barry's determination and mumbled a "Good luck with that" as he turned back his head towards the TV, beer in hand.

Barry passed his bedroom and a slightly horrified expression appeared on his face: the door wide open showed the mess inside, a mess only a hurricane could normally cause, and he realised Caitlin must have seen it. He will probably get a comment about that in the near future.

He found her in Iris' old room sitting on the bed, her eyes focused on what she had in her hands: a grey shirt, Ronnie's shirt. Barry took a moment to read her face. She didn't look sad, but rather nostalgic, lost in her thoughts. She must have sensed his stare, and honestly he wasn't sure how long he had stood in the doorway watching her.

"Hey, are you okay?" She inquired.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking this question?"

"Cisco told me… about the blood, the time travel theories and… and your mom." Barry looked down and Caitlin immediately regretted her words. "I'm sorry for bringing it up. And I'm sorry I was so focused on Ronnie that I wasn't there ear…"

Barry's head jerked up at her apologies. "Hey, you don't have to apologize, for anything. You barely had 24 hours with Ronnie and at least 80% of them were spent fighting soldiers." He put his most reassuring smile on his face and relaxed when the same made his way to Caitlin's lips. "I'm fine, okay? But are you?"

Caitlin took a second to think about the question, looked down at the shirt and then up again at Barry. "Surprisingly enough, I am." Like it was some sort of proof, she stood up and put away the shirt in the black suitcase placed on the commode.

Barry nodded and genuinely smiled at his friend's relative well-being after saying goodbye to her fiancée, once again. He watched her close the suitcase and suddenly remembered what he was doing there in the first place.

"Hey, stop that!" Caitlin turned around with a look of utter confusion on her face. "You're not going home tonight."

Caitlin was surprised by his bossy tone and raised her eyebrows. "Yes I am."

"No you're not." Pretty sure he sounded like a 5 year old, Barry stood up to face her, glad she didn't have her shoes to reduce the height difference. "If I was Eiling, I'd be sure to check in with Firestorm's allies to know where he went. And I'm positive he saw you saving our asses behind Jitters yesterday."

"He knows all of us, STAR Labs, Clarissa… Ronnie and the Professor made sure to fly away in broad daylight, with probably half a dozen of satellites watching them leave the city. I'd say we are all safe, or at least as much safe as we can ever be."

Barry sighed at her logic. He needed a different approach. The black suitcase caught his attention and an idea crossed his mind: it would both lighten the mood and leave her with no choice but to stay (or just make her mad and leave the house immediately). Caitlin followed his gaze and frowned in confusion. Before her brain could even notice him moving, Barry was running around the room, out of the room to an unknown location, then in the room again. He stood still with his smirk in place, waiting for her reaction.

"What the…" Caitlin's mouth hanged open while her eyes scanned the room: suitcase gone, her coat -with her car keys in the pocket- gone, and herself now dressed in her pajamas. "BARRY!"

"You can't go now." He knew he was taking a lot of risks but still, he was having fun and he could use fun. She could too.

Caitlin fought internally to decide her next move: hit him, hit him and leave, hit him and laugh about the situation because it was -kind of- fun, or really just yell and hit him.

Barry's arm hurt when her little fist met with his upper arm, but then she laughed and he did too.

"You seriously need to stop doing this though." She pointed at her body. "When an evil dress is involved, fine. But now that was just you shamelessly peeking."

"I did not! Or maybe just a little. Does this mean you're staying?" He asked, hopeful.

"No. Where are my clothes?" She couldn't reward his devious actions with her surrender.

"Come on, Cait, it's late already and…" He tried to think of something, anything that would make her stay. "And you may not need me, but I need you." That would do the trick.

Her expression softened and Barry thought he had won. For a second. Then she smacked him on the shoulder with a little laugh. "You're so full of it, Barry Allen."

"But it's true! Look, I said it to make you stay, yes," he started, half-annoyed half-impressed she could so easily read him, "but although I think I am okay, I am probably not. I have like a million thoughts on my mom, my dad, what I could for them or could not do… Maybe we can talk about it? You have a gift when it comes to get the truth out of me, even when I don't know that I'm lying or wrong."

Caitlin considered his words in her mind for a moment. She wanted to go home and be alone for a while because even if she wasn't heartbroken, she still had lost Ronnie again today and it still hurt. But she could tell Barry was honest, and if she was a little more honest with herself too, she'd admit that an extra night at the West house sounded nice. Anyway, her decision had been made when the sneaky speedster had used the "help me" card.

"Fine." She conceded and Barry shot her that childish smile of his that always made her smile back exactly like him. "But just tonight though. If we start having slumber parties every time one of us is sad or in danger, we should just move in together already."

**La fin. **

**Next episode of The Flash is in 23 days... let's cry together please. **


End file.
